Shell Oil Co., Inc. v. Moore

The complaint in this case (consolidated here with No. 26925) was filed by Shell Oil Company, Inc., as lessee of the Chicago, Wilmington and Franklin Coal Company, under which it claimed the right to <pil and gas underlying certain lands occupied by appellants, and the right to drill and explore for the same. The coal company executed such lease as the purported owner of the mineral estate in said land. The appellants were in possession of the surface under a deed which conveyed to them the surface only, and contended the coal company neither owned the oil and gas underlying said land, nor…